Young talent lifts Hockeyroos

NIKKI Hudson can hardly remember being part of such an energetic
and enthusiastic hockey team.

Hudson, who will co-captain the Hockeyroos in Melbourne next
week, said the introduction of several up-and-comers in the past
year had filled her with optimism about the team's future, while
simultaneously steeling her to hold on to her spot.

While Hudson was one of the all-conquering Hockeyroos who
brushed all rivals aside on their way to Olympic gold in Sydney,
she was also there when they slid to third spot at the Manchester
Commonwealth Games and fifth in Athens.

She will play in Melbourne alongside three players 
19-year-old Kate Hollywood and 20-year-olds Kobie McGurk and
Madonna Blyth  introduced since coach Frank Murray took
charge at the start of last year.

"There's a different feeling in the group. We have new players,
we have new coaching staff, and I can honestly say that the feel
amongst this group is the best it has been for a long time," said
Hudson.

She and Hockeyroos goalkeeper Rachel Imison, along with veteran
men's midfielder Brent Livermore, will become the first players to
have represented Australia at all three Commonwealth Games hockey
tournaments.

"I know that people say you must constantly feel the pressure
because you've got all these young players coming through. Some of
them, like Kobie, are a decade younger than I am, but it's
great.

"I like having youth around because they're so enthusiastic and
there's so much vitality from them. I think that passes on to the
rest of us, but at the same time I'd like to think that I'm not
going to move over and let these guys just come on in, I'm going to
work hard.

"I think we've got a wonderful blend of youth and experience in
our team, which is great, and we all get along exceptionally well.
It's a very enthusiastic group."

While he has kept one eye on the Beijing Olympics since starting
as coach, Murray said this team was good enough to do some big
things now, and that the young players had been selected not only
so he could give their big-event experience a quick boost.

"We're not just centred on Beijing," he said. "We've picked the
best team available for this tournament. No one is here because
they're young, or anything like that, they're here because they're
good enough to be here.

"We think this team's good enough to win the competition and so
we'll be disappointed if we don't. But we want to learn a lot from
this tournament as well, and I think this gives us that opportunity
You've got to play under different types of pressure and
cope with it, and whether you're young or whether you're a senior
player, it's a good opportunity."